Program On The National Security Innovation Base

The Ronald Reagan Institute’s program on the National Security Innovation Base is a new project dedicated to assessing the health of the national security-innovation ecosystem. The foundation for the program is the Institute’s 2019 Task Force on 21st-Century National Security Technology and Workforce, which was an ambitious project designed to help the United States achieve long-lasting competitive advantage in technology and innovation.

The Ronald Reagan Institute’s program on the National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) is dedicated to assessing the health of the national security innovation ecosystem. The NSIB ecosystem includes a broad array of actors, including our national security agencies and organizations, various research centers and laboratories, universities and academia, traditional defense “primes,” commercial sector disruptors, venture capital, and the innovative systems of American allies and partners. In order to sustain America’s competitive advantage and to achieve its national security objectives, the common purpose and coordinated efforts of these key stakeholders are vital.

In 2023, the Institute launched its inaugural NSIB Report Card (add link) – a groundbreaking initiative to measure the health, effectiveness, and resilience of this ecosystem and provide recommendations for improvement.

The second annual NSIB Report Card (add link) was featured at this year’s NSIB Summit on March 20, 2024, (add link) at the Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, DC. The Summit convened leaders across the NSIB ecosystem to discuss the central challenges identified in the Report Card that the US faces in maintaining and expanding its technological edge.